THE OCEAN \< >YAGE 119 



to the wild, torn character which presented itself step by 

 step in the strait of Le Maire. It was truly picturesque. 

 The most imposing spectacle in this region undoubtedly 

 caused by the many little inlets which form a crescent, 

 opening toward the ocean. This spot is called "Bay of 

 Good Success," and seemed to be half a mile wide and 

 deej), marked at its Eastern end by some large mountains 

 of Fireland; and on the South by the Cape of Good Suc- 

 cess. The whole looks like a black, jagged wall of rocks, 

 perpendicular, and often more than a thousand feet high, 

 frequently protruding toward the everlasting breakers 

 of the raging sea. This wall is crowned with immense 

 masses of snow which do not entirely melt away during 

 the summer months; and now, in the spring season of the 

 Southern Hemisphere, • we see immense stalactites of 

 frozen snow hanging everywhere and reaching at times 

 such proportions that they almost kiss the breaking bil- 

 lows. No human foot ever reached this region and not 

 the least vegetation could be discovered by the searching 

 eye. Nothing but a dark volcanic rock, covered by the 

 icy blanket of perpetual snow. 



The Cape of Good Success itself formed the culminating 

 point, which is the Eastern outlet of the snow-capped 

 mountain-chain with its wild coast-scenery, which make 

 the interior of Fireland so unexplorable. It appears to 

 be about fifteen hundred feet high, a dark, wild and grue- 

 some sight to behold, on the few protruding points of 

 which even the snow seems to have failed to obtain a last- 

 ing hold; the sea is at this point unfathomable. It was 

 on this cape that a Danish bark with many emigrants 

 wrecked, in full view of two other vessels; this occurred 

 during last January. Capt. Meyer told me that the bail; 

 was tin-own but once against the mighty rocks, which 

 proved enough to convert its beams and planks into splin- 

 ters and the one hundred and thirty-six people, who were 

 on board, lost their lives right there. The captain showed 

 me the spot as we sailed past at a distance of about half 

 a mile. 



\\c left the Strait Le Maire about two o'clock in the 



